Cardiovascular nurses who work with the young are faced with the challenge of understanding the specifics of pharmacologic agents that enhance cardiac output. This article is a summary of the drugs commonly used to manipulate preload, afterload, and contractility in the young. Diuretics, vasodilators, and positive inotropes are discussed in the text. The specifics of pharmacokinetics, dosage, and special considerations are summarized in table form in the Appendix.